因杀人而入狱的塞勒（尼古拉斯•凯奇 Nicolas Cage 饰）终于熬过几年铁窗生涯获释了，心上人罗拉（劳拉•邓恩 Laura Dern 饰）迎接了他的出狱。有情人又得以团聚，但罗拉的母亲玛丽一直都不喜欢塞勒，一直在阻挠女儿和塞勒来往。两人只好相约私奔，来到了南方。　　玛丽找来了侦探男友约翰尼追踪他们，企图将罗拉带回去。两人在私奔过程中，都向对方袒露了自己生活中曾经有过的阴暗岁月，那些岁月里都混杂着血腥、暴力和性，但他们都充分体谅了对方。塞勒此时正为一个毒品贩子桑托干活，桑托怕约翰尼因跟踪塞勒而发现他们的交易场所，因此将约翰尼干掉了。另一个毒贩鲍比为了除掉塞勒，设了一个圈套正等待着塞勒上钩。

因杀人而入狱的塞勒（尼古拉斯•凯奇 Nicolas Cage 饰）终于熬过几年铁窗生涯获释了，心上人罗拉（劳拉•邓恩 Laura Dern 饰）迎接了他的出狱。有情人又得以团聚，但罗拉的母亲玛丽一直都不喜欢塞勒，一直在阻挠女儿和塞勒来往。两人只好相约私奔，来到了南方。

　　Myron Breckinridge is waiting for his sex-change operation while a stoned surgeon stumbles into the operating room. Before the drugged doctor begins Myron's operation, he counsels him. Myron persists and the doctor goes through with it. An enthusiastic audience observing the operation applauds the medical achievement and rises in a standing ovation. After the operation, Myron arrives in Hollywood as Myra while in the rest of the film Myron pops up from time to time as Myra's alter ego. Myra goes to an acting academy owned by her uncle, Buck Loner, a former cowboy star. The real reason for Myra's arrival is to claim her half of Uncle Buck's estate, which she says she's entitled to. Buck Loner stalls by giving her a job teaching the history of motion pictures. Buck Loner has several friends. One of them is Letitia Van Allen, an ancient Hollywood talent scout. The sex-starved septuagenarian runs an acting agency "for leading men only."